Glass-working.



F. L. O. WADSWORTH.

GLASS WORKING.

APPLICATloN FILED JULY 31.1914.

Patented Aug. 1918.

Pessu RE Pump y W 10W l @im m ram I.. o. wmswoivrn, or Hm'rsBUacH, PENNSYLVANIA, AssmNoa 'ro BALL Enorme @mss mANUrAc'rUaING comraNY, or NUNorE, INDIANA, A. como- BATION 0E INDIANA.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L O. WADs- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, inthe county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Glass-Working, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tomprovements in the method and apparatus illustrated and described in Patent No. 984,974 of September 21, 1911, to H. Severin, in which given measured quantities of molten glass are drawn from a dominant pool into an intermediate receptacle and then discharged into a series of molds, a portion of each charge so delivered beingallowed tov overflow and return to the dominant pool. The principal objects of my invention are, first, to very sensibly increase the speed with which operations of this character can be carried on; second, to simplify the mechanisms which are involved in the practice of these operations; and, third, to eliminate the difficulties which result from mixing portions of the overflow glass with the fresh and virgin glass'which 1s supplied to the intermediate receptacle from the dominant pool.

In the drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view-in section-of a glass melting tank provided with three intermediate receptacles for the delivery of glass to a series of molds; Fig.

2- is a vertical section on' the line X-X o f Fig. 1 showing lthe interior construction of one of the intermediate delivery receptacles,

and the means by which it is manipulated; and Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged plan sections on the line Y-Y of Fig. 2. n

In the above figures, 1 indicates a glass melting tank which is charged and fired in the usual manner, and 2, 2, 2 indicate dog house extensions builtv out from thefront to those shown in Fig.. 3 of the Severin Patent No. 984,974, being composedy of av hollow block of clay or of similar refractory v material in which is mounted a rotary cylin- Speoication of Letters Batent.

GLASS-WORKING.

i Patented Aug. e, rare.

Application led July 31, 1914. Serial No. 854,225.

der 4. Each receptacle 3 is provided with an inlet port 5 and an outlet or discharge port 6, and theflower end of the cylinder 4 is provided with a lon port 7 which, by the rotation of the cylin er, can be brought alternately in registry either with the inlet port 5, as shown in Fig. 3,` or with the outet port.6, as shown in Fig. 4. The cylinder 4 is continuously rotated in the direction of the arrow-Figs. 3 and 4-by suitable gears 8, 9, 10 and 11, the latter being mounted on the main driving'shaft of the glass forming machine which carries the molds. The interior of the cylinder 4 is ,in communication through the hollow pipe 12 -with the stationarysleeve 13 which is provided with two plunger valves 14 and 15, the stems ofvwhich are actuated by cams 16 and 17 on the main driving shaft of the machine. The valve 14 is in communication through the pipe 18 with the interior l in coil 20 or by other suitable means. The l cy inder 19 is supplied with compressed air by means of a plunger pump 21 which is provided with any suitable-.form of auto-- matic control mechanism by which the pressure of air in the .cylinder 19 can be malntained constant.

The valvev 15 communicates through a pipe 22 with a large reservoir 23 that'is in.

communication through a .pipe 24 with a suitable form of vacuum pump by means of which any desired degree of exhaustion can be maintained in the said reservoir. Each of the intermediate'receptacles 3 is preferably supported in proper posltion in vthe chamber 2 by being seated' on a blo'ckf 25 on the fioor of said chamber; and each of these receptacles. is provided with ahollow floater or guard 26, the front ends 0f which are shaped to engage the Walls of the receptacle 3 on each side of the inlet port 5. These ioaters or guards are preferably made of a depth substantially equal to that of the chambers 2 and are so shaped that they will oat in the molten glass with their upper edges just above the surface l(see Fi 2). The side walls of said oaters may be bound together bycross bars 26 or they may be made separate and held in proper position in thevtank in the same manner in which ordinary oaters are held in position.

Fach oit' the chambers 2 is also provided with ports in its side walls through whichfuel, such'as gas or oil, can be introduced to the chambers 2 lfor the purpose of maintaining the molten metal therein at the required temperature. These ports are preierably inclined backward, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the burning fuel is directed t0- ward the openings in the main tank 1.

30 indicates diagrammatically one arm'oit the glass machine which carries at its outer end a moldBl. lin the position shown in Fig. 2 this mold has been brought over the delivery oriice 6 and lowered, by the lowering of the entire head of the glass machine, until its end is in engagement with the upper end of the delivery spout of the receptacle 3. 'lliewglass machine is preferably provided with a number of these arms, each carrying its own mold, which are brought in succession to the charging position over-the delivery orifice 6 by any suitable mechanism actuated from the main power shaft of the machine; and this mechanism is so cordinated with that which rotates the cylinderl4'that the latter makes one complete revolutionfin each interval bepas tween successivemold movements. The two movements, that lof the molds and that of the cylinder 4, are" further so cordinated that the cylinder 4 is brought to the position indicated in Fig. 4 simultaneously with v the lowering of anyone mold into contact with the delivery orifice 6.

` The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: The parts having been brought to the position shown in Figs. 2

and 4, the valve 14 is opened by the action 7of the cam 16 thereby admitting compressed air from the reservoir 19 to the upper end of the hollow cylinder 4. This forces the glass contained in the cylinder out through the delivery oriice 6 andA fills the mold 31..l When the mold is filled, it is lifted away from the discharge orifice by the raising of the arm 30, andthe excess of glass depending from the lowered end of the mold iscut oil' from the latter by means of a suitable knife, in the manner described in the Severin Patent No. 901,199fof @ctober 13, 1908. rllhe portion of glass so cut oii, together with the following portions of the low falls back into the chamber 2. amount has thus been discharged to wash o the end of the discharge spout the valve 14 is closed by the action of the cam 16 and the flow stops. By this time the continuous y rotation 'of the cylinder 4 'has closed the dis- 65,.

charge vport 6 and brought the port 7 into When a suilicientV navarra registry with the entry port 5, as shownin Fig. 3. The valve 15 is now opened by the action of the cam 17, thus placing the'upper part of the hollow cylinder 4 in communication with the vacuum reservoir 23. ThisV from the charging position and brought another empty mold to that position ready for a repetition of the above described operations. The overflow of glass, which .is discharged from the orifice 6 after the filling and removalof each mold, drops back into the chamber .2, but is prevented from mixing with the glass in the vicinity of the entry port 5 by the walls of the Hoaters 26 which compel this overflow glass to move backward into the main body of the tank. This backward movement is assisted by the action of the usual gas flames inthe chambers 2 and by the action of the auxiliary flames which are directed to the tank through the ports 32 between the chambers. By the time this overflow has reached the rear openings between the lloater walls 26 it has been thoroughly reheated and retherefrom into the mold is a continuous instead of an intermittent one. This permits of a much more rapid movement of the valve and a very decided increase in the speed of operation, so that from 12 to 15 molds can be charged per minute instead of only 6 to 8. The continuous movement of the valve in one direction also-diminishes the liability of the valve to stick in position and consequently reduces the wear and the abrasion of the moving parts. The continuous movement of the valve surfacecver the stationary' port also tends to reduce the tendency of the glass to chill and harden at the lower end of the delivery spout and thus produce a lap at that point in the delivered stream.

Second The use of a large pressure reservoir and a large suction or vacuum reservoir for the purpose of alternately applymg pressure and suction to thesurface of the glass in the delivery receptacle greatly simplifies the mechanism as compared with that described in the earlier Severin patents for the reason that it enables any number of delivery devices to be operated from a single set of reservoirs and a single set of pumps, the pressure and the suction used in each chamber being controlled independently by the valves 14 and 15 in any desired manner. The use of a large reservoir for the compressed air also permits of the heating of that air to a very high temperature, much higher than that at which it could be supplied to the discharge receptacle directly from the pump (as shown in the Severin Patent No. 984,974),

and this in turn prevents any chilling ofthe upper ,surface of the glass in the deliylery he utilization of compressed air and vacuum tanks for the control of the pressure Ain the delivery chambers also enables that pressure to be regulated more exactly and maintained more nearly constant than is possible when a direct acting pump is employed for that purpose; and this in turn makes it possible to obtain a more uniform and steady {iow'of glass through both the inlet and the delivery ports. This arrangement also frees the pressure pump from undue heat. e

Third .The use of fioaters prevents the overiow of glass from the delivery spout from passing directly backward to the vicinity of the entry port and producing chords or striae in the molten metal which is drawn into the delivery chamber. This may be a very fruitful source of trouble in the use of such a form of apparatus as is shown in the earlier Severin Patents Nos. 901,199 and 984,974. With the arj rangement described in the present application, the overflow glass is compelled to pass several feet backward into the main body of molten metal in the tank before it can again reach the opening which leads to the charging or entry ports of the intermediate receptacles. During this backward movement, ample time is given for the complete reheating of the overflow portions of the discharge, and for the complete and perfect re-amalgamation with the main body of molten material forming the dominant pool. Y

@ther advantages of the hereinbefcre described improvements Will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, particularly by those who have had practical experiencey in the operationof the Severin apparatus. f

For the sake of brevity in the claims, I have used the Word glass i because that substance is the one most commonly known as possessing the characteristics .of material upon which my invention is applicable, but the use pf that term is not to be understood as 11m1tmg the application of the inventlon 'to that substance but, instead, as defining portion of each segregated. quantity to the l dommant pool upon the surface thereof, and f the guarding of the segregating point to a depth below the same'and to a considerable distance toward the initial end of the 4 dominant pool whereby the successive subsequently-ejected portions of molt-en glass which are returned to the dominant pool can not return to the segregating point for a considerable time. y

2. That improvement inthe art of glass working, which comprises the maintenance of a dominant pool of molten glass, the intermittent segregation vof comparatively small quantities thereof from a point below the surface of the pool, the ejection of a portion of each segregated quantity into a receptacle, the withdrawal of the filled receptacle, and the ejection of a subsequent portion of'each-segregated quantity to' the dominant pool, and the guarding of the segregating point to a depth below the same and to a considerable distance beyond the initial end of the dominating pool whereby the successive subsequently-ejected portions of molten glass which are returned to the dominant pool can not return to the segregating point for a considerable time.

3. That improvement in the art-of glass Working, which comprises the maintenance of a dominant pool of molten glass, the successive segregation of comparatively small quantities from the dominant pool at a point below the surface, the ejection of said segregated quantity by a heated gas applied directly thereto under pressure, a portion of said ejection being directed into l a receptacle and a subsequent portion of said ejection returned to the dominant pool andthe guarding of the segregation point to a point distant therefrom whereby the successively ejected quantities returned to .the dominant pool can not return to the segregation point until after the lapse of yc'onsiderable time.

4. 4That improvement in the art of glass working, which comprises a furnacegfor the maintenance of a dominant pool v of mplten Laramie said main chamber and provided with a port arranged to alternately connect the interior of said valve with the aforesaid entry port and discharge passage, means for rotating the said valve continuously, and means for injecting into said valve a'heated gas under pressure When the portof said valve is in communication with the discharge passage, said last mentioned, means comprising a reservoir, means for highly heating the in- 1C terior, and a pump for injecting gas under pressure into said reservoir.

In Witness whereof., I have hereunto set my hand at Eittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

FRANK L. 0. WADSWORTH,

Witness:

Sun B. Fnrrz. 

